Wolters Kluwer Health
may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed
to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without
your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Background: Negative-pressure wound therapy is believed to accelerate wound healing by altered wound edge microvascular blood flow. The current standard negative pressure is –125 mmHg. However, this pressure may cause pain and ischemia and often has to be reduced. The aim of the present study was to examine the blood flow effects of different levels of negative pressures (–10 to –175 mmHg).

Methods: Wound edge microvascular blood flow was studied in a peripheral wound model in eight 70-kg pigs on application of negative-pressure wound therapy. Blood flow was examined, using laser Doppler velocimetry, in subcutaneous and muscle tissue at 0.5, 2.5, and 5 cm from the wound edge.

Conclusions: Blood flow changes gradually when the negative pressure is increased. The levels of pressure for negative-pressure wound therapy may be tailored depending on the wound type and tissue composition, and this study implies that –80 mmHg has similar blood flow effects as the clinical standard, –125 mmHg.

Lund, Sweden

From the Departments of Ophthalmology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University Hospital.

Received for publication March 24, 2009; accepted July 29, 2009.

Disclosure:The study was supported by Prospera. None of the authors has a financial interest in any of the products, devices, or drugs mentioned in this article.

Some error has occurred while processing your request. Please try after some time.

Email to a Colleague

Colleague's E-mail is Invalid

Your Name: (optional)

Your Email:

Colleague's Email:

Separate multiple e-mails with a (;).

Message:

Send a copy to your email

Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague.

Some error has occurred while processing your request. Please try after some time.

Add Item(s) to:

An Existing Folder

A New Folder

Folder Name:

Description:

The item(s) has been successfully added to "".

David H. Song, M.D., M.B.A. is the President-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). He is a consultant with BioMet, Emmi Solutions, LLC, a consortium-member providing senior debt for Brava, and consultant with and investor in HealthEngine.com. He receives author royalties from Elsevier. Scot Glasberg, M.D. is the President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). He is a consultant with LifeCell Corp and Mentor Corp and an investor with Strathspey Crown. The authors have no sources of funding to report related to the writing or submission of this discussion.

The location and affiliation information should read as follows: Arlington Heights, Ill. From the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation.